Yesterday morning at work, as is our custom, we began the day by having a long and heated rehashing of the debate and how John McCain doesn't seem to know the difference between autism and Down's Syndrome. (He may be a perfectly qualified candidate and all, but we are all therapists who specialize in working with children with special needs and that "Sarah Palin knows about autism / we'll spend the money to find the cause / we're going to have a budget freeze on all programs" statement angered this group like no other -- and not just those in the room who are mothers of children who are on the autism spectrum.) As is my custom, I soon realized that this could go on forever, and quietly backed out of the conversation to go back to my office and get some actual work done.

I was sitting at my desk, listening to the lingering discussion in the hallway when this email came through on my desktop:

Alice -- *my name is not really Alice; obviously, it had my correct name*

I just finished the last debate before the election.

Now the outcome of this campaign is up to you. I need your help to get our message out -- and to get out the vote. I wouldn't ask for your support if this campaign didn't urgently need it. Your donation of $5 or more today is essential to our unprecedented get out the vote operation in these final days. The most dangerous thing you can do right now is nothing. Your support and hard work are exactly what we need between now and Election Day.

While he didn't mention the middle class, John McCain chose to repeat the false, negative attacks that make up 100% of his advertising these days. The truth is that his choices say more about his campaign than they do about me. But John McCain and his allies are not going to stop fighting -- or attacking -- until the very end.

We're doing this a different way. Tonight I talked about the real problems ordinary people face during this economic crisis and concrete ways that I will create jobs, cut health care costs, build a new energy policy, and get our economy moving. But time is running out. Our strength and our success in these last 20 days depends on you: https://donate.barackobama.com/finaldebate.

Thank you for all you do,

Barack

So face, all you Obama Mommas! Take that Dormouse! I started yelling out my office door, "I just got an email from Barack Obama! Barack Obama knows my name! Not only does he know my name, but we are on a first name basis!" For some reason, my colleagues were unimpressed with my notoriety.

I quickly sent this email back:

Dear Barack - *remember? we are on a first name basis*

Thanks for the personal email. It's been so long since I've heard from you! I have to say, your email took me by surprise, though. I didn't expect to hear from you until after the election when things had calmed down a bit. I still remember fondly that night we spent together in the back seat of that Studebaker. What fun, heady days those were right? Did you ever get the chocolate sauce our of your lapel? I hope the dry cleaning wasn't too expensive. Hey, remember that $20 you owe me? Feel free to consider that a gift to your campaign. Just think of it as "my little tip."

I think of you often and can't wait to hear from you again.

Thanks for all you've done, if yaknowhaddamean,

Alice

P.S. There's a reason The Dormouse loves you so... she's yours.

A couple of hours later, I got another email. This one, from Joe Biden:

Alice --

Anyone who tells you this election is already decided is dead wrong. Let's not forget the 2000 election, when Al Gore was up by double digits in October. The surest way to lose a race is to slow down with the finish line in sight. We're taking no chances. We've planned the biggest get out the vote operation in history, and we need to make sure that every voter has their voice heard. That's why we've set the goal of bringing in 100,000 new donors by Friday at midnight.

If you step up and make your first donation today, it will be matched by a previous donor. Will you make a donation of $5 or more today and double your impact? This campaign has fought for every inch, and now is not the time to take anything for granted.To get out the vote, we need to knock on hundreds of thousands of doors and make even more phone calls.

This campaign has built the largest field operation in history, and we need to mobilize it in these remaining days to get every single voter to the polls on Election Day. Because that's what it comes down to -- counting every last vote. Make a matching donation today to make certain that when everything is on the line, we are stronger than ever: https://donate.barackobama.com/promise. We've come too far to hold back now.

Thank you for everything you're doing,

Joe

Oh puleeze! How gullible does Joe Biden think we are? Anyone could tell that was a form letter.

P. S. Monica got emails from moveone.org and Karl Rove, which is hilarious beyond my wildest dreams and provides me with no end of amusement.